HTM – Highway Traffic Management Drives Sustainability Forward with Avena Partnership for Secure and Sustainable Uniform Disposal

Highway Traffic Management Limited (HTM) is proud to announce a new partnership with Avena Group to securely and sustainably dispose of end-of-life PPE and workwear. This initiative represents a significant step in HTM’s ongoing commitment to reducing environmental impact and advancing sustainability across the highways sector.

Since 1995, HTM has been a trusted provider of temporary traffic management solutions across the Midlands and beyond, placing safety, innovation, and community impact at the forefront of its operations. With sustainability firmly embedded in the company’s business strategy, HTM recognised the need for a responsible solution to manage its used uniforms—many of which are contaminated with oil, tarmac, and other road-related materials due to the nature of the company’s working environment.

“Many recycling solutions simply couldn’t process our used workwear due to contamination,” Kayleigh Sheward, HTM’s ESG Coordinator explained. “We were forced to send items like jackets, trousers, hard hats, and boots to landfill—something we were determined to change.”

To address this, HTM turned to Avena and their SecureBrand® service—a specialist solution designed for the secure destruction and repurposing of branded and contaminated textiles.

Why HTM Chose Avena

After careful consideration, HTM selected Avena for their:

• Convenience: One simple solution for all uniform and PPE disposal.
• Capability: Proven ability to handle heavily contaminated materials.
• Cost-effectiveness: A high-quality service at a competitive price.

Avena’s GPS-tracked, CCTV-monitored fleet and industrial-grade destruction processes ensure that all items are completely destroyed, preventing branded materials from re-entering the public domain or landfill waste streams.

Tangible Environmental Impact

Through this partnership, HTM is projected to securely destroy 1,872 kilograms of textile waste over 12 months—saving an estimated 917 kilograms of CO₂e. This is equivalent to:

• 2,337 miles driven by an average petrol car
• 74,200 mobile phones charged
• 9 acres of forest sequestering carbon for a full year

These results align with HTM’s broader Environmental Policy and commitment to supporting the UK’s net-zero ambitions. As founding members of Greener Highways, HTM continues to lead sustainability initiatives across the industry.

Callum Harding, Sales Executive at Avena, commented: “We’re proud to support Highway Traffic Management with a secure and sustainable solution that truly matches their operational and environmental values. Our SecureBrand® service ensures even complex, contaminated workwear items are responsibly destroyed and repurposed.”

HTM’s work includes supporting national-scale events such as the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, showcasing the company’s ability to deliver excellence on high-profile projects. Now, through this partnership with Avena, HTM is also setting a new standard for sustainability in highways operations.

“Our operations directly impact the natural and human environment,” said Matt Higgs, HSEQ Director. “That’s why sustainability is embedded into our business plan. Partnering with Avena helps us fulfil that commitment—not just in words, but in measurable action.”

Together, HTM and Avena are demonstrating that operational performance and environmental responsibility go hand-in-hand.